The Seven Lives of Arthur Pendragon
by miss kathydacat
Summary: Sometimes, Destiny finds it hard to get what she wants. It takes her seven tries to finally achieve her goal. Merlin/Arthur slash, don't like, don't read. Rating is for slight goriness in second chapter. Not sure if it's too high. Varying lengths.
1. One and Two

The Seven Lives of Arthur Pendragon

One

The Prince lay in bed, hot and sweaty. He had injured himself in training the week before, but the cut had become infected. Gaius had tried everything, but to no avail.

Uther mopped his son's forehead. He had been assured that this was no magical attack. A mere disease was taking his precious son from him!

Everyone in the castle was mourning except one dark-haired young man, who had not heard the news.

He had come so close to his destiny but as he walked away unknowing the whole world started to unravel.

Two

"Arthur! Don't go without Merlin!" Morgana chased after Arthur's horse, still in her nightwear. Her maidservant was many yards behind her.

Arthur halted his horse. "He can't come hunting with me, Morgana, he has a broken arm. As much as I'm worried about him, I'm not going to sit with him feeding him grapes. He doesn't even like grapes. Anyway, he's assured me he'll be fine, and that he can get some of his duties done. There really is no need to worry, Morgana."

Morgana shook her head, tears rolling down her face. "Arthur!" she sobbed. "You must get him away from the castle! I've had, I've a dream! And-"

Arthur leaned down from his horse and whispered in her ear. "You're making a fool of yourself. Now get inside, you'll catch a chill." He spurred his horse on, leaving Morgana screaming hysterically after him.

After a rather successful hunting trip, Arthur was just about to eat when there was a knock at the door.

Morgana entered, her face red and blotchy. "I tried to tell you..." she began, then shook her head. "No, it's not your fault. You wouldn't have believed me. I don't blame you."

Arthur shook his head, bemused. "What are you talking about, Morgana? Are you sure Gaius has prescribed you the right medicine?"

"Merlin's dead."

The smirk slid off Arthur's face.

"What?"

"He was executed for using magic."

"He was found trying to heal his broken arm. They stabbed him in the streets a couple of hours ago."

Arthur pushed past her and ran to the market place. Merlin's body was lying in the gutter, hated forgotten.

Arthur knelt down and picked it (_no, him_) up. He looked around him...

_All this blood from one man..._

He cradled Merlin's body and then turned his head aside and threw up. He'dseed worse, but it was (_his)_ Merlin.

_He shouldn't be seen like this... I feel so ashamed. How could they do this to him?_

He kissed Merlin's head softly. _I miss you... I can't believe how much this hurts..._

Arthur could dimly hear his father bellowing his name. He didn't care. Nothing mattered now.

He closed Merlin's sightless eyes.

_There. Now you could be sleeping..._

Three


	2. Three

_**A/N: Unbeta'ed, as you could probably guess by the atrocious mistakes in the first chapter. I do apologise. Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I had the first three written down, so after this it will be a while before the next update. Reviews are love!**_

Three

There was fire. Even the stones of the old, aching castle seemed to be alight, the fire eating away at everything.

High up in the castle, the screams of the dying could not be heard. But the two occupants of the room knew full well what was happening, and that they would be next.

Every exit from Arthur's chambers was blocked by an inextinguishable wall of flame. Caused by magic, no doubt. But it would do them no good. That fire was slowly creeping in.

Merlin whimpered into Arthur's shoulder, terrified. They were sat on the (_warm, too warm) _stone floor, as far away from anything flammable as possible.

"Arthur? Before we... Before we die, I need to tell you something. You promise you won't feel any different about me?"

"You're a sorcerer, I know." Arthur pulled Merlin into his lap, and nuzzled his neck. "I don't think you're a bad person Merlin. Merlin, you're – Merlin, I- There's not a bad bone in your body, Merlin."

Merlin turned his head to look into Arthur's eyes.

"I love you."

Arthur turned his head away sharply, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Don't Merlin, don't."

Merlin grabbed Arthur's face and pulled it round. He kissed away the tears that were threatening to spill down Arthur's cheeks.

"No regrets, Arthur. No regrets."

Arthur dipped his head and pressed his lips gently against Merlin's.

"No regrets." He echoed.


	3. Four

The Seven Lives of Arthur Pendragon Ch4

_**AN: There was supposed to be an alternate ending to this one, but I dropped it, because it took all the suspense and purpose really, of this piece.;-) Thanks to all the people who reviewed – I really appreciate it! This was written in my school diary.**_

Arthur awoke to the hysterical cries of townsfolk. It didn't take much these days, ever since Morgana had tried to kill Uther and been executed. Everyone feared magic now. Except Arthur. Perhaps Arthur alone only thought that magic was a tool, and that it was neither good nor evil.

But he still couldn't quite believe it had been him who had mis-used magic. Used it against his supposed Master. He felt disgusted at what he'd done. It hurt when he thought of who had done it – who had to die. In spite of everything he'd done, Arthur didn't want him to die.

He shook himself, and firmly reminded his shaking heart that he was making him feel this way, so much in love, so much hurting.

He walked slowly into the Great Hall a couple of hours later, after dressing and yelling at his idiot servant for making a mistake yet again.

A pitiful figure lay in chains in the middle of the all, sobbing quietly, identity unknown to the rest of the people in the Hall, and the mob outside who only needed a cry of 'Sorcerer' to become wild with bloodlust.

"Arthur..." croaked the bundle of rags as he passed by to sit beside his father at the table. He paused for a few seconds, suddenly overcome by remorse at what he was about to do. _It's fake. Everything I feel now, because of him, is fake._

His Father looked at him as he sat down. "Don't feel anything for him," he murmured, unwilling to let the court see his son's moment of weakness, nor the worry that seemed to eat him from inside out. "If what Anne has said is true, then he will be executed as soon as possible." He gestured to the young woman seated beside him.

Arthur had seen her, a couple of weeks ago, fawning over an oblivious and uninterested Merlin. Normally this would have alarmed Arthur, but he felt like he didn't know his own mind anymore, so he said nothing.

Anne reached across and put her hand on his.

"Forgive my rudeness, Sire, but I saw him slip the love potion with my own eyes. He was chasing you for a while now... I never thought he'd stoop so low... It's my fault, sire, I just thought he loved you..."

Uther nodded and stayed silent until she'd finished wiping her tears. She looked terrified... but of what? She kept glancing at the man in the centre of the room, as if he would suddenly explode and engulf them all in flames.

"It isn't your fault. I'm glad you came to me, you will be rewarded greatly for your help."

At Uther's words Anne turned even paler than Arthur thought was humanly possible, making her look like a vampire starved of blood.

Uther stood and addressed the court.

"You see before you the foulest of the foul. The Sorcerer tried to control my son's very heart and mind. He sits here now, loving a man he never would have loved."

A sob issued from the shape of the floor. A nearby guard kicked him. He looked up, and Arthur was struck by how beautiful he looked, even bruised and tearful. He heard Gwen give a choked cry somewhere to his right, the poor girl had every right to be upset.

Later, he lay awake wondering why the spell's effects hadn't lessened with the sorcerer's death. Then it struck him. That poor man (no, boy) had died innocent. His only crime was loving him.

His Merlin.


End file.
